This invention relates to a lounge chair or the like that is designed for a person to sit in or lie in or lie in both the prone and supine positions.
Most conventional lounge chairs are designed to permit the user to lie on his back in the supine position. Such chairs generally have a seatback that can be tilted up so that the user's back is inclined relative to the legs, which extend generally straight out in front of the user's torso. For many people this position becomes uncomfortable after a brief period of time. Typically the user's legs become tired. To sit up straight and read, the user must straddle the seat section of the chair and spread his knees further apart than his shoulders. For most users this wide spread knee position becomes uncomfortable after a brief time because the backs of the legs become tired.
Perhaps the most significant drawback of conventional lounge chairs is the inability to permit a user to lie comfortably on his stomach in the prone position. The user's head must be placed in an awkward position on either the right or left temporal areas of the skull. Within a short period of time in a male user, this position becomes impossible to maintain due to the back and neck muscles debating spasmodic contractions. These contractions make sunbathing for the back side of a person difficult, and it makes reading impossible beyond five to ten minutes for a male. The female anatomy is such that the time for reading in the prone position on a conventional lounge chair may be extended to about fifteen to twenty minutes.
If one lies on his stomach in a conventional lounge chair and attempts to read, he may support the book somehow and arch his back up and lean on his elbows to keep his eyes an acceptable distance from the book. The user may alternatively place the book on the surface that supports the chair and extend his head over the end of the chair. This person must somehow support the weight of his head; and therefore, this position also becomes uncomfortable after a brief period of time.